Paul Stanley Won't 'Compete With The Past' By Writing New KISS Music

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has addressed the idea of a making a new Kiss album, as the band nears the conclusion of its 'End of the Road' tour sometime next year.

Stanley, who released a new album with his Soul Station side project in 2021, reiterated to the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast that he and Gene Simmons have no plans to write new music together again.

"I came to the conclusion that I can never compete with the past," Stanley said. "Not because it's not as good, but it hasn't the connection to the important times in your life. It doesn't have that patina to it of, 'Gee, I remember I heard this song when I was 18,' or 'I heard this song when I was on my first date or whatever.' You can't compete with that. It's more than a song; it's a snapshot of your life at a certain point."

Listen to the full Howie Mandel podcast via the player below.

Stanley continued, noting the lukewarm reception Kiss got for its last two albums, 2009's Sonic Boom and 2012's Monster.

While the Starchild stands behind that music as every bit as good as anything Kiss did in its '70s or '80s prime, he says the band has to acknowledge that passion for music, in some fashion, comes from time and experience.

Even if fans give the new songs their due, they can't help but have more connection to music with which they've had more experience.

"I think it's setting myself up for disappointment," he said. "Not crushing disappointment, but when you put your heard and soul into doing something and it kind of gets a polite nod, there's other things I'd rather do."

Kiss has 'End of the Road' tour dates booked through December. The band is expected to add more shows into 2023.

Kiss's upcoming KISS Kruise XI, which launches this October, has been billed as the final time the band will perform aboard the annual cruise. Stanley himself has said that he expects the band to wrap up the farewell tour by "the beginning of 2023."